KARACHI, Jan 10: The Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly was informed on Thursday that the crumbling Jam Sadiq Ali bridge, used by numerous container-mounted trucks on their way to upcountry destinations and back to the Karachi port, needed immediate repairs, and if restoration work was not done forthwith, it could collapse anytime.

Similarly, Karachi has been facing an acute water shortage as against a demand of 850 million gallons daily, it was receiving only 450MGD from the Indus, 100MGD from the Hub dam and 100MGD from the K-III project.

This was stated by KMC administrator Muhammad Hussain Saiyed and KWSB chief Misbahuddin Farid in response to a query by the PAC chief about the overall condition of the flyovers and water scarcity complaints in Karachi during its meeting held here on Thursday.

The meeting was presided over by its chairman, Jam Tamachi Unnar, to consider draft paras of the Karachi Development Authority, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Mr Saiyed said that except for the Jam Sadiq bridge, all other bridges required only minor repairs. However, he said repair work on the Jam Sadiq bridge had already been delayed as the federal government had announced a package of Rs2.4 billion for Karachi in 2010-11, but the amount was not released.

He said the dilapidated condition of the Jam Sadiq Bridge had already been brought to the knowledge of the governor and the chief minister of Sindh.

The KMC administrator further said that tenders for carrying out repairs and renovation work on other flyovers had already been issued.

When managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board Misbahuddin Farid was asked about the water complaints by the PAC chief, Mr Farid told the meeting that due to the growing population in the Defence Housing Authority and other localities, water tanker service had been increased while in middle- and lower-middle class settlements, such as Orangi and Baldia towns, the population had increased 10 times.

He said except Karachi East where there was no water problem, the KWSB was considering resuming water supply from the Muslimabad hydrant, which was closed on an order of the Sindh High Court following complaints of area people.

He said from the Muslimabad hydrant the water supply used to be 14,000 tankers daily. He said to meet water shortage needs, the KWSB had been supplying water through tankers, but due to irregularities and nepotism the tanker service was not meeting the requirement of poor localities, therefore, it was reduced to 6,000 tankers daily.

He further said that the K-4 project of 600MGD had been approved, but its first phase would be operational in four years.

Besides, he said, another mega project, S-3, was also being worked out which would release water into the sea after treatment and treated water would also be made available for industrial uses.

Earlier, at the very start of the meeting, director of audit for local bodies in Sindh M. Ali Bokhari requested the PAC to defer consideration of the audit paras for 10 days. It being his first appearance at the PAC, he was not aware of the procedure, he said.

Besides as he had received the documents only a day earlier, he was unable to update the working papers for the meeting by including audit comments on the draft paras.

Moin Peerzada asked the secretary of the meeting to make the discussion part of the minutes of the meeting.

PAC chief Jam Tamachi allowed them one week to update the working papers.

The others who took part in the discussion were Ghulam Mujaddid Isran, Dr Rafique Bhanbhan and Muhammad Shoaib.